2025 NDAA Rule Opens On-Base Schools To Off-Base Children
Expanding Access: Military Children and DOD Schools
The Department of Defense (DOD) is restructuring its access policies for DoD Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. Now, more military families have access to on-base education opportunities, as we’ll discover below.
The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act includes a section authorizing more military families to enroll their children in DOD-operated schools, even if they live off base. This change departs from the previous requirement of on-base residency for enrollment in DoDEA schools, potentially opening doors for thousands of military children across the United States.
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The Need for Change
Military families face unique challenges, including frequent relocations, deployments, and the financial hardships associated with them. These disruptions can significantly impact a child’s education, making consistency in education an important factor in academic success.
DOD schools, operated by DoDEA, have long been recognized for providing education tailored to the needs of military children. However, access to these schools has traditionally been limited to families living on military installations.
This restriction has left some military children without the opportunity to attend a DoDEA school without a waiver or other special consideration.=
The 2025 NDAA addresses this issue, expanding eligibility to qualifying off-base military families and ensuring that more children have access to a quality education designed to support their unique needs.
Selecting Participating Bases
Not all military bases are authorized to offer DoDEA school seats to children living off-base or off-post. In the earliest days of the new program, the option was offered at specific bases only on a space-available basis. At press time, the program was not open to all parents at all bases.
Under the law, the Secretary of Defense, in conjunction with DoDEA officials, was tasked with determining which military installations will participate in the program and the overall implementation timeline.
In 2025, 13 installations in seven states were identified as other locations where the program should expand in the continental U.S. These domestic bases with DoDEA elementary schools also have universal pre-kindergarten in most cases.
The selection process will consider several factors, including the military department’s readiness needs and the DODEA school’s capacity to accommodate additional students. By prioritizing installations with sufficient capacity and aligning the program with military readiness needs, the DOD aims to create a sustainable and beneficial program for military families.
A Pilot Program Paved the Way
A successful pilot program initiated in the 2022-2023 school year informed the decision to expand access to DOD schools.
Four military installations across the United States participated in this program, which permitted off-base military children to enroll in DODEA schools on a space-available basis. The pilot program yielded positive results, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of extending enrollment to a wider population of military children.
Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Fort Jackson in South Carolina, Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, and Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in Virginia served as the testing grounds for this initiative.
The program’s success at these installations provided data and insights that supported the program’s expansion.
Benefits for Military Families
DODEA schools follow a standardized curriculum, with the goal of providing school-age children with a more ‘seamless transition’ when their families relocate.
This continuity is meant to minimize disruptions to their education and allow them to maintain academic progress despite frequent moves. The revised guidelines provide military families with access to high-quality education, tailored support, and a sense of community.
The new DOD policies for on-base schools are meant to ensure the educational needs of military children are met, reduce stress on military families, and allow service members to focus on their duties.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
